Local Residents Fear Noise Increase
The FAA has approved the
groundwork for California's Livermore Municipal Airport (LVK) to
develop a "jetport" that is able to accommodate larger commercial
jets.
The FAA's approval of "minimum standards for commercial
aeronautical activity" allows the city to set financial performance
levels for businesses at the airport and opens the way for the city
to solicit bids from potential business tenants that would take
responsibility for fuel sales, of which the city is the lone
vendor, according to Pleasanton California's Tri-Valley Herald.
The move is not without its critics, however. Among them is an
airport watchdog group, Livermore Airport Citizens Group. LACG
describes itself as "a group of citizens dedicated to the
preservation/improvement of our health, safety, property values and
quality of life as affected by the Livermore Municipal Airport,
Livermore, CA, and the aviation activity associated with the
airport."
The airport plan means, to opponents, a future with more and
bigger jets, as well as the noise and particulate pollution.
"They're turning it into a 'jetport' with luxury hangars and
squeezing out the recreational pilots," said Livermore resident
Wendy Weathers, one of many convinced the "minimum standards"
approval will clear the way for expansion, with no effective way
devised to monitor or combat a noise problem.
Livermore airport manager Leander Hauri said neither the recent
FAA action nor airport improvement plans "will appreciably increase
the number of flights."
Plans for improvements include 38 large T-hangars at 1,500
square feet each, and construction of 27 small box hangars at 2,500
square feet each has already begun.
"We have the infrastructure in place (to build); we have what we
have," said Hauri, adding that the "minimum standards" apply to the
financial capacity of a prospective airport service vendor.
City officials began
gathering proposals from prospective operators of the new hangars
and fueling facilities at the airport in January. Operators'
proposals are due March 19.
It likely will be at least a few months before the council names
an operator, City Councilman Tom Reitter said.
Reitter said he doesn't believe new hangars and new service
providers will cause huge airport changes. It's the FAA, he said,
that wields most of that power, not the city.
Mayor Marshall Kamena said the new hangars are designed to
provide shelter for existing airport tenants, not to squeeze them
out.
"That doesn't seem like a net gain in aircraft to me," he
said.
Karen McMullen, a resident who lives near the airport isn't so
sure. She acknowledged the LACG is beginning fund-raisers for
newspaper fliers to generate support for opposing any airport
"expansion."
"The citizens are saying, 'Not again. ... How many times do we
have to go through this?'" she said.
Reitter realizes there is a difference in the way the city views
this issue and the way some residents do.
"I doubt there will ever be agreement between the two sides on
what's happening," he said.